Instagram: @claire.prouvost
Website: www.claireprouvost.com
1. What’s your story? Where are you from?
I am from South-West France. Initially born in Lille, my family is now living by the mountains, in the Pyrenees. Being in nature and having a garden with no limits, I was always outside: making a treehouse with my brother, running around or drawing. My dad has always been drawing and painting, and my grandmother was an artist, so Iâve been playing with colours from a very young age. Iâve always loved it, and my family has always been very supportive of me pursuing an artistic career. I guess that really shaped who I am today. Since I finished my Master’s degree two years ago, I am living and working as a graphic designer and illustrator in Dublin, Ireland.
Je viens du sud-ouest. Je suis nĂ©e Ă Lille et mes parents vivent maintenant prĂšs de la montagne, dans les PyrĂ©nĂ©es. Etant proche de la nature et ayant toujours eut un jardin sans limites, jâĂ©tais toujours Ă lâextĂ©rieur, Ă construire des cabanes, courir partout, ou dessiner.
Mon pĂšre a toujours peint et dessinĂ©, et ma grand-mĂšre Ă©tait une artiste, et depuis toute petite, jâai toujours adorĂ© mĂ©langer les couleurs et jouer avec quelques feutres et crayons. Jâai toujours aimĂ© dessiner, et ma famille Ă toujours Ă©tĂ© trĂšs supportive de mes choix dâĂ©tude artistiques. Cela mâa vraiment aidĂ© Ă savoir ce que je voulais faire plus tard, et Ă essayer de vivre de ma passion. Depuis que jâai fini mon Master il y a deux ans, je vis et travaille Ă Dublin, en Irlande.
2. Tell us about your aesthetic.
I love all things colourful, strong and powerful! Most of my work at the moment is depicting women. I really enjoy drawing them and their diversity. It started as an experiment, as I wanted to get better at drawing people, and after 100 days of drawing ladies, Iâm hooked! I suppose I love to draw attitudes and expressions and to say a lot of things about them, with very few lines and details. I try to shape faces and the space around them with colour blocks and playing with contrast and shadows. I guess thatâs how my brain works, trying to break things down in shapes and challenge my perception of things.
Jâaime tout ce qui est colorĂ©, qui est fort et qui a de la personnalitĂ©. La plupart de mon travail en ce moment est composĂ© de femmes. Jâadore dessiner leur diversitĂ©, leur caractĂšre. A la base, câĂ©tait un exercise pour perfectionner mes portraits, et aprĂšs 100 jours Ă dessiner des femmes, jâai complĂštement accrochĂ© et jâai mĂȘme du mal Ă mâarrĂȘter! Je pense que jâessaye vraiment de reflĂ©ter leurs attitudes et expressions, et dâen dire beaucoup sur elles avec peu de lignes et details. Jâessaye de crĂ©er des visages et compositions en jouant avec des blocs colorĂ©s, les contrastes et les ombres. Je pense que câest de cette maniĂšre que jâĂ©tudie la composition dâune image, en essayant de la diviser en diffĂ©rentes formes et de remettre en question ma perception des choses.
3. What is your favourite medium and why?
I love gouaches, and most of the work you can see on Instagram (aka my online sketchbook) is hand-painted. I work with only 3 primary colours ( yellow, red and Ultramarine) and a bit of white. Thatâs now one strong characteristic of my aesthetic too! Painting is so therapeutic to me, itâs like meditating and a good way to wrap up a long day. Also, I get things done a lot faster with my paintbrushes than digitally, for some reason, and I find it gives me more freedom of expression.
Ma technique prĂ©fĂ©rĂ©e est la gouache, et la plupart du travail que vous pouvez voir sur Instagram (oĂč mon carnet de croquis virtuel) est peint Ă la main. Je travaille uniquement avec 3 couleurs primaires ( jaune, vermillon et outremer) et un peu de blanc. Câest dâailleurs une des caractĂ©ristiques essentielle de mon esthĂ©tique. Peindre est trĂšs thĂ©rapeutique pour moi, câest presque mĂ©ditatif, et une bonne façon de dĂ©compresser en fin de journĂ©e! Je peins beaucoup plus vite manuellement que digitalement, et cela me permet dâavoir une plus grande libertĂ© dâexpression.
4. What is your artistic process like?
Most of my time is spent looking for pictures that inspire me. I am constantly collecting images from Pinterest and Instagram, saving them for later. Then, I just sit down (preferably with a cup of tea!), do a very quick pencil sketch, and jump straight into painting. I try to paint everyday after work, and even more over the weekend.
La plupart du temps, je collectionne des images qui mâinspirent, depuis instagram ou Pinterest. Puis, je mâassois le soir, avec une tasse de thĂ©, fais un croquis rapide au crayon, et je me met directement Ă peindre. Jâessaye de dessiner tous les jours aprĂšs le travail, et encore plus pendant les weekends.
5. Who and/or what inspires your work?
Women with a strong personality, independent, sassy and stylish. I also get a lot of inspiration from â60s/ 80âs fashion.
Le femmes qui ont une forte personnalitĂ©. IndĂ©pendante, drĂŽle et stylĂ©es. Je suis Ă©galement inspirĂ©e par la mode et les vĂȘtements des annĂ©es 60 Ă 80.
6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?
Oh my⊠what if it wasnât there?! I donât know what I would be doing! Art and creativity take probably up to 95% of my time, and the other 5% includes laundry and groceries. It does change the way I view the world, for sure, because I mainly connect with like-minded people, and I think through creative collaboration, we are more likely to make things happen. Also, our lives are influenced by art and creativity in so many ways via music, the internet, cultural events, exhibitions, workshops, street art⊠We are expressing emotions, opening discussions, bringing important subjects and issues to the table⊠But it can also be as simple as some beautiful, colourful street art brightening up grey walls.
Si lâart nâĂ©tait pas dans ma vie⊠je ne sais pas ce que je ferais de ma peau! Ăa occupe probablement 95% de mon temps, et les 5 autre % incluent les courses et la lessive⊠Bien sur, cela change ma perspective du monde, car jâinteragis et mâentoure majoritairement de crĂ©atifs, qui ont plus ou moins les mĂȘme passions que moi. Je pense que câest Ă travers la collaboration que les projets deviennent rĂ©els et que les choses avancent. Aujourdâhui, les moyen dâexpression sont multiples et lâart influence notre quotidien de bien des maniĂšres: par la musique, internet, les rĂ©seaux sociaux, les Ă©vĂ©nement culturels, les expos, le street art⊠Câest une façon dâexprimer des Ă©motions, de parler de sujets importants, mais ça peut ĂȘtre aussi simplement des oeuvres dâarts qui vont illuminer et colorer la ville et le bĂ©ton.
7. Where did you study?
I studied my Master’s Degree in Toulouse (ISCID). I was studying Graphic design, editorial and communication, with a specialisation in colours and trends.
Jâai fait pas mal de choses! Jâai dĂ©marrĂ© avec un bac STI Arts AppliquĂ©s Ă PĂ©rigueux, puis un BTS suivit dâune licence en Design produit/global, avant de me rĂ©-orienter vers un Master en Graphisme, Edition, Communication (option couleur) Ă LâISCID prĂšs de Toulouse.
8. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Good question. I probably see myself being more independent, and being able to work remotely in different parts of the world for a little while. Even though I like Dublin, I would like to get to work in other cities, on collaborative projects with local designers/artists.
Bonne question! JâespĂšre ĂȘtre plus indĂ©pendante et de pouvoir vivre de lâillustration tout en voyageant autour du monde. MĂȘme si jâaime Dublin, je voudrais voir ce quâil se passe dans dâautres villes et pays, et rencontrer et collaborer avec des artistes/designer locaux.
9. What about in ten?
I see myself more established and settled. At the moment, the rhythm is pretty intense, I work as a full-time graphic designer and I have that eagerness to try everything, to learn different techniques, going to events, talks, workshops⊠Hopefully, by then, I would have managed to be a good business owner. Even though I would love to have a freelancer lifestyle, I see myself in a busy, creative co-working space, as Iâm not the working-at-home type of person.
Je me vois plus sereine et Ă©tablie. Pour le moment, mon rythme est plutĂŽt intense. Je travaille Ă temps plein en temps que graphiste, et comme je dĂ©veloppe ces compĂ©tences en illustration, jâai cette envie de dĂ©velopper mes connaissances et mes techniques, de faire des workshops, dâaller Ă des Ă©vĂ©nements, des confĂ©rences⊠JâespĂšre que dans 10 ans, grĂące Ă tout ça, je serais une bonne gĂ©rante de mon entreprise! Et mĂȘme si jâadore le mode de vie Freelance, je me vois mal travailler seule Ă la maison. Je suis bien plus Ă©panouie socialement au sein dâun espace de co-working.
10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?
I would like to be able to give my images a purpose. Illustrations are a good way to showcase pieces of information and facts, to make them easier to digest. Ideally, it would carry a message, but even if it is just about making the world more colourful, itâs great! I want my art to have an interaction with people, to touch something in them. Isnât it the goal of every piece of artwork?
Je voudrais ĂȘtre capable de donner Ă mes images un but, une intention. Lâillustration est un bon moyen dây parvenir, et dâimager des informations et faits. Dans lâidĂ©al, elle a un but et transmet un message, mais, mĂȘme si elle rend juste le monde plus colorĂ©, câest dĂ©jĂ gagnĂ©! Je voudrai que mon art intĂ©ragisse avec les gens, quâil touche quelque chose en eux. Nâest ce pas le but mĂȘme de toute oeuvre?
11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?
I love veggie burgers! But, because I canât settle just for one: lasagnas, guacamole, pastas with pesto, and tomato salad with balsamic and mozzarella.
Jâadore les veggies burger! Mais parce que câest dur de nâen choisir quâun: les lasagnes, la guacamole, les pĂątes au pesto, et les salades de tomate et mozzarella.
12. Favourite book?
I havenât read as much as I used to in the past few years. But I recently finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera, which I really liked.
Malheureusement, je ne lis pas autant quâavant⊠Jâai rĂ©cemment fini Lâinsoutenable LĂ©gĂšretĂ© de LâĂȘtre par Milan Kubdera, que jâai vraiment aimĂ©.
13. Favourite genre of music?
Everything trip-hop, techno, ambient electronic, along with jazz and world music.
Tout ce qui est trip-hop, ambient electronic, mais aussi Jazz et musique du monde.
14. What are your hobbies?
Hiking and being in nature, running. I also used to play the violin, which I would like to get back into.
La randonnĂ©e, et la course Ă pied. Je jouai Ă©galement pas mal de violon, mais il faut que je mây remette!
15. If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I really donât know⊠I probably would try to be a musician, and be creative in any way possible, even if it means having a âregularâ job on the side.
Aucune idĂ©e, ça me semble inconcevable! Jâessayerai dâĂȘtre musicienne, ou du moins dâĂȘtre crĂ©ative autant que possible, mĂȘme si je dois avoir un boulot plus ânormalâ pour payer les factures.